New Beginnings WR
by worenx
Summary: After the even longer wait, Chap. 4 is up! Ash and Misty reach Sleight Island and, already, tentions flare. After the whole thing, our Misty goes through some... drastic changes.
1. Old Endings, New Beginnings

Pokémon and anything related to Pokémon is the property of Nintendo and Game Freak. No way, in any shape or form, do they belong to Worenx. I.E. me! There are, however, some monsters and attacks that I do own. They will be pointed out as they are introduced in the story.

**Worenx Notice**Yo! Worenx here to point out some changes from the Pokémon anime; Some minor and some major. Minors first: Ash now uses fully evolved monsters and won't be relying on such attacks as Tackle, Water Gun and Thunder Shock like he does in the show. Attack strength from the game will apply here. Unlike in the show, things will be a little violent. As in, expect bloodshed, broken bones, and DEADLY poison; not like anyone's gonna die though. I'm bloodthirsty; not a psychotic murderer. And finally, more adult and sexual themes. This is a PG-13 story, so not what you'd see in a porno. Though, some things are suggestive. I won't go into detail, but you WILL know what's going on. Onto the major stuff. Ash, Misty, Gary, and other familiar faces have gone through a lot of changes. I've made them older for one, but appearance-wise they're different. Ash (18) now wears a pair of blue jeans, a white T-shirt with torn sleeves, black leather fingerless gloves similar to his old pair, his Expo hat worn backwards and brown work boots. His hair is longer and tied into a short ponytail and is spiked out in front. Misty (19) has grown out a lot more (I mean A LOT! A to C) and wears a dark blue T-shirt and tight black jeans that accentuated her new figure very well, mid-back length hair worn down, and a pair of white soap shoes with gray stripes down the sides. No Pikachu; Ash let him go. And the final change is the lack of gyms/badges. Not explaining why; I just want to get this rewrite started now. Enjoy New Beginnings.

New Beginnings 

Pallet Town--

The sun rose over Pallet Town as the Dodrio squawked and awakened the sleepy town. The only one that hadn't slept the night before was the Pokémon Master, Ash Ketchum. As the three headed bird cawed, he left his house with a Pokéball in his hand. "Go, Noctowl," he called as he tossed the ball and released the shiny owl Pokémon. "Fly me to Cerulean City." The owl Pokémon wooed happily as it fluttered in the air over Ash. Already used to this psychotic stunt, he reached up and grabbed Noctowl's talons. "Ready when you are," Ash said as he got his grip. With another woo, the bird took off into the air with his master clinging to his claws. "Onward, to Cerulean City," Ash announced as he pointed to the sunrise.

Cerulean City--

Ash landed at the entrance of the Pokémon Center and recalled Noctowl into his Pokéball. Stretching his arms, he looked around the city. "It's bee awhile since I was here," he commented and scratched his head, "Since May and Misty battled two years ago…" He crossed his arms and made it towards the Waterflower residence. He continued to walk as he looked down to the ground. "I could barely talk to Misty afterward, and I hope she's not mad at me about it." He passed by the Cerulean City gym and sighed. _'Feels like only yesterday…'_

_(Flashback)_

_--Hoenn--_

_Ash was on his way back to Kanto via magnet train when he felt a tug at his shirt. He turned to see his friend May staring at him with pleading eyes. "Do you really have to go, Ash? There's so much more you cam teach me," she whined as she stepped closer to him._

_He looked away and to the ground. "May, I gotta get home. I just miss Kanto. Pallet. Mom… Someone else…" He looked over his shoulder to his distressed friend with a perplexed look on his face. "What do you mean 'more I could teach you?' Since you quit competing for ribbons, I've taught you everything you need to know about battling. You're on your own," he said with a reassuring smile._

_Shaking her head, a tear escaped from her blue eyes. "No! You're wrong, Ash! I still need you to guide me," she insisted and grabbed his shoulder. He shook his head slowly, pulled her hand off him gently, and continued to step on the train. "Wait! I'll come with you," the girl declared and stepped beside him._

"_What? Why?" Ash had no idea why May wanted him to be around her, but she seemed so dead-set on it. She wanted to go and he couldn't change her mind. Sighing, he stepped aside and let May enter first. As they took their seats, the light flashed on: En route to Kanto._

_--Saffron City to Cerulean City--_

_Ash and May arrived at Saffron City and made their way north to Cerulean City. "So, Ash? What's here in Cerulean City," she asked shyly with a cute face._

"_A friend of mine. You met her."_

"_Oh… 'her…'"_

_Ash took notice that whenever he brought up Misty, May became a little down. She referred to Misty simply as 'her' for one reason or another. "C'mon, May. Tell me why you dislike Misty now. I thought you and her hit it off and became friends," he asked as they continued to the gym._

_Another thing May hated talking about. "I just don't really like her that much," was always her answer. "Looks like we're here," May said solemnly with a sigh._

_(End of Flashback)_

Ash snapped out of his recollection and continued walking passed the gym to where Misty lived. "I wonder if she forgot about that… I doubt she did; she's not one to forget something like that," he thought aloud as he continued going. He sighed as he remembered that fierce battle. A very memorable battle. And it was over him no less. May wanted Ash to stay in Hoenn, close to her. Misty wanted just the opposite: for him to stay home, close to her. "But why did they fight so ferociously? Did each of them want me to stay for a reason I'm not comprehending?" He decided to forget about it. It's been two years since he's said two words to Misty. _'I wonder what she looks like now,'_ he thought as he remembered the youngest Waterflower two years ago. He stopped at a familiar house and looked at the dark blue door and took a deep breath. "Okay… It's now or never," he said and he knocked lighty…

Misty's sister Lily answered the door and smiled at Ash. "Hi Ash. How've you been," she asked him and invited him inside.

"Fine, Lily. How've you, Daisy and Violet been?"

"We're all just fine."

He rubbed his arm nervously as he walked past Lily and into the front room. "Is Misty around," Ash asked as he sat down on a chair.

Lily shook her head and sat on a sofa beside the chair. "She went for a swim at Seafoam Island. But she should be back in about fifteen to twenty minutes; she left almost two hours ago."

Ash sighed and looked over to Lily with questionable eyes. "Say, did Misty tell you about what happened here two years ago," he asked suddenly.

"With that May girl that beat her," she asked and scratched her head. "She wouldn't talk about it for a few days… then again, she just shut herself up in her room and wouldn't talk to us…"

Ash shook his head and thought about what happened… The image of Misty on her knees in tears; her Kingdra battered, bruised and scorched on the floor… Each one seemed to be stapled on his short term memory. No matter what he did, he could never get it out of his head…

(Flashback)

Cerulean City Gym--

The final battle of the match: May's Blaziken VS Misty's Kingdra. The battle had been a difficult one from the beginning. Round I, Misty's Lapras beat May's Altaria. However, Altaria's Thunder attack greatly damaged the transportation Pokémon. Round II, May's Milotic managed to defeat Lapras. Starmie's Thunderbolt won against Milotic in round III. Absol on May's side defeated Starmie with a Shadow Ball assault, winning May round IV. Round V went to Golduck's powerful Hydro Pumps. Tropius arrived and pounded into Golduck, Gyarados took out Tropius with Fire Blast, Manectric fried Gyarados with Shock Wave, and Politoed caused an Earthquake and knocked out the electric dog. May used her last hope; Blaziken. With a highly critical Sky Uppercut, Politoed was defeated. Out came Misty's Kingdra. Both monsters met each other's glare and went into an intense standoff…

"May, you might want to give up this round," Misty persuaded as she gestured to Blaziken. "There is no way a fire type can beat my Kingdra. Spare yourself the humiliation."

May shook her head wildly and pointed at her opponent. "No! You've spent enough time with Ash! Now it's my turn! Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" Without a moments hesitation and with lightning speed, the flaming fighter jump kicked at Kingdra. At take-off, flames surrounded his mighty talons.

Misty sighed and told Kingdra to use Hydro Pump. The dragon did as he was told and the blast of water doused the flames of the kick and knocked back Blaziken. It quickly shook off the attack and, at May's command, ran at a great speed toward Kingdra. It launched a Hydro Pump only to have Blaziken zip out of the way and keep going forward. More Hydro Pumps were fired and more of them were dodged. Eventually, Blaziken slammed Kingdra in the abdomen with a well-aimed punch. The attack was followed up with a Sky Uppercut to the jaw, sending Kingdra flying into the air. Blaziken leaped up into the air after the dragon and hammered it in the back with a roundhouse Blaze Kick, sending it hurdling back into the ground.

"Kingdra," Misty gasped as her monster splashed into the water at ringside. It surfaced with an angry expression on its face. With a sigh of relief, Misty smiled at her Kingdra's vitality. "Let's get back at him with Hyper Beam!" Kingdra hopped back into the ring and charged up some energy for the powerful energy burst.

May watched on in shock at how strong the Kingdra was. Blaziken had taken out a large share of Dragon types with that combination. This was something else. "Blaziken, Rock Slide," she commanded. Blaziken stamped on the ground and caused rocks to fall from nowhere and hurled them at Kingdra. By that time, the Hyper Beam was fired. Most of the rocks flew past the beam and connected with Kingdra and the ray of energy splashed against Blaziken… Both Pokémon were knocked onto their backs. It was an intense couple of seconds as both monsters got back to their feet, though they were very exhausted and sluggish at this point.

"May, there's still time to call this whole thing off," Misty hinted as Kingdra continued to breathe heavily, "Your Blaziken's too weak to continue."

May snorted and gestured to Kingdra. "Look who's calling the kettle black. Kingdra's not that much better off than Blaziken!." She looked to her Pokémon with fire in her eyes. "As long as we are able to, we will fight! I am not going to give up! Never," she yelled to Misty, clenching her fists. "Blaziken and I are linked by our goals! And with the burning desire to achieve them, we will scorch anything standing in our way! Attack with Scorch Wheel!" Six flaming spheres appeared around Blaziken and began spinning in a clock-wise manner. Finally, the blazing monster thrust his arms outward and the wheel of spheres flew at his opponent.

Scorch Wheel: Megaman VII attack turned into a technique. (ATK: 200 ACC: 70 PP: 5) A Fire-type attack that damages opponent for 3 turns.

"Quick, Kingdra! Hydro Pump!" The wheel of flame was too quick for the exhausted Kingdra and got hammered by it. Even after the attack collided, the monster continued to sustain burns. After awhile, it fell to the ground, unable to continue battling…"

(End of Flashback)

Lily shrugged and cuddled a pillow. "She's been wondering if you'd ever come and see her. Day after day, she sat in front of the window waiting for you to walk up and knock on the door. But today, she just up and left, saying "I'm tired of waiting on him," Lily said, doing a perfect Misty impression. With a sigh, Lily threw the pillow back to its appropriate place. "Sometimes, I wonder why she-" Lily suddenly cut herself off.

"Wonder why she what," Ash asked as he looked to Lily, who currently had her hand over her mouth.

"Nothing. Just babbling," she said a little nervously. "I need to be more careful about what I say to him,' Lily thought and picked her legs up on the sofa and stretched lazily.

Ash looked at Misty's sister suspiciously, but quickly got over it. He trusted the Waterflower sisters like they were his own sisters, so he figured if it was something big going on with Misty, they'd tell him. He sighed as he leaned back in the chair. As soon as he got comfortable, the front door opened and the sounds of flip-flop sandals were heard.

"Ah, nothing like a good swim," a familiar voice said to no one in particular in the front room. A gasp was heard followed by a towel falling. "Ash," she asked.

Ash opened his eyes and looked ahead of him. What he saw made his jaw drop. This voluptuous red head couldn't have been the same girl he failed to keep in touch with for two years. "Misty," he stammered as he got up from his seat. She had grown a lot within the span of two years. Her breasts had gone up a whole cup size and her face became more naturally beautiful. Her eyes had a kind of shine to them that made her appear more attractive. "My god, Misty… You look great!" She especially looked nice in her tiny blue bikini.

She blushed a dark shade of red as she knelt to pick up her towel and cover herself with it. "W-what are you doing here," she asked as her blush lightened up a bit.

"How about that, baby sis. The one time you leave is the one time he shows up," Lily said with a slight chuckle.

"Shut up, Lily!" She turned her attention on back to Ash and blushed again. "Um… I'm going upstairs to get some clothes on," Misty said as she ran up the stairs, quickly, leaving Ash and the smirking Lily in the front room.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, Misty finally came down with an outfit that accentuated her curvier figure, making Ash's jaw drop. "Long time no see, Misty," he said as he smiled widely. Misty looked to Ash with the same look she had when she descended the staircase, and Ash couldn't tell whether it was a good or a bad thing.

Her face brightened up as a smile crept across her features. "Ash… You've finally come…" She stepped closer to him, still with the smile on her face. "I was wondering when you'd see me," Misty continued in her sweet voice. Suddenly, she leaned forward and hugged him. "I've missed you, Ash."

Ash returned the hug and they stood there for a good five minutes. "Well, two years is a long time."

"But why didn't you visit me at all? Or at least call me…"

"I couldn't… I didn't know if you were mad after what happened two years ago."

Misty looked down after he said that. She turned so he was facing her back. "No, Ash… I wasn't mad… I was shocked… and embarrassed… and ashamed," the red head said as she crossed her arms. "I should have won that battle…"

_(Flashback)_

_--Cerulean City Gym--_

"_I did it," May managed, completely surprised. Before her was her exhausted Blaziken, drenched with water and his own sweat, breathing heavily. On the opposite corner, Misty dropped to her knees as her precious Kingdra lay on the ground unconscious with numerous burn marks and bruises all over his scaly blue body. "I did it," May said again, cheering this time._

"I… I can't believe it," Misty stammered as she felt a tear escape her eye. Soon after the first, more followed. "How could I have lost to a Blaziken? I'm the strongest aquatic Pokémon trainer on this planet, and I lose to some hack from Hoenn," Misty mumbled as she cried silently over, what she saw as, her most devastating defeat. "No… This can't be happening," she sobbed to herself. She collected herself, wiped her tears away and smiled weakly at the girl who had won the match. May had won fair and square and with her own talent… She deserved Ash's company…

(End of Flashback)

Misty shook her head a little after recalling that incident. "I was afraid you'd blame me for what happened. I didn't want to visit only to be ignored," Ash said as he stepped closer to Misty.

She turned to face him and a slight smile crept onto her face. "So, what did you do in Hoenn? Give May more training?" She chuckled a bit. "But I don't see why she needed it." She heard Ash sigh and cocked her head a little. "Something wrong?"

He turned away from her and slumped over. "I never went to Hoenn after the battle," he admitted. "After the battle… After the whole fiasco… We were on our way back to Saffron and take the Magnet Train when… May… Well…"

(Flashback)

Cerulean City gym--

"Well… congratulations May," Misty said as she stood before May, not meeting her gaze. She shuttered a bit as she shook May's hand.

"You gave me a run for my money, Misty. It wasn't like it was one-sided," the Hoenn girl said as she shook Misty's hand. Misty pulled away slowly and thought about those words. She expected it to be one-sided in her favor… But things didn't turn out that way.

"……I hope you and Ash enjoy your time together…"

May smirked and looked back at Ash. "Oh, don't you worry. I will." She blushed slightly when she looked back at the red head before her.

Misty shuttered again and walked past May without another word. As she approached Ash, he noticed something amiss about Misty. "Hey, Mist? Can I ta-" Misty made her way past Ash without even a goodbye. As she left the gym and turned a corner outside, he caught a glimpse of a very sad look on her face and a few tears roll down her cheek…

Saffron City--

Ash was quiet on his way to Saffron City with May. He didn't want to go back, but she had fought hard and deserved Ash's teachings once more. "Wow, Ash. I can't believe I managed to defeat Misty," May mentioned as they neared the Magnet Train station. She suddenly began to blush.

Ash noticed this action and gave her a confused look. "May, every time you look at me lately, you blush. What's going on," he asked and scratched the back of his head.

May blushed a lot more and leaned closer to him. "Do you really want to know?" He nodded and stepped back a little, nervously. She wrapped her arms around him and looked him in his brown eyes. "It's a secret I've been holding onto for a while…" She moved her face closer to his and rubbed her nose against his. Her breathing became heavier. "Ash…" Her lips grew closer to Ash's and their breathing intensified. "I love you," she breathed just before she pressed her lips on his.

Out of shock, Ash lightly pushed May away from him and looked to her in confusion. "What?" He didn't know how to react to her sudden confession.

May looked confused and slightly hurt. "I said 'I love you.' Something wrong," she asked, fairly shakily.

Ash rubbed his head a bit and smiled weakly at May. "Look, May… I don't really know how to say this but…" He gulped and looked at the confused 14-year-old Hoenn girl. With a sigh, he turned away from her. "I don't love you…"

May stood, unable to move, before Ash. "What?" She knew what she heard, but she wanted to hear it again to be sure it was what she thought.

Ash shook his head and stepped closer to May. "I'm sorry, but I just don't love you. There's someone else…" He looked away from the girl who had confessed her love to him. Though he didn't want to break her heart, but it would hurt more if she found out later.

May stepped back, eyes wide with tears. "Someone else?…" She blinked and a few tears ran down her cheeks. With a sniffle, her sad expression flipped to an angry one. "Someone like Misty perhaps?" Ash's eyes widened with surprise. "Don't give me that look! I saw how you look at her! Your eyes say it all! You're in love with Misty, aren't you?" As she continued to yell, more tears streamed from her eyes. Before Ash could even answer, May continued to scream, "You don't even have to say it, it's true! Of course you'd fall in love with someone like Misty! She's everything I'm not! Smart, pretty and sexy! I'm just an ugly, sexually unattractive stupid girl! Who'd love a reject like me?" Having said that, she sobbed several times and dropped to her knees.

"May, that's not true… You're every bit as beautiful as Misty," he said as he wrapped his arm around her in an attempt to calm her.

She jerked violently away from Ash and pushed him back a bit. "Liar! You liar! I am not as beautiful as she is and you know that for a fact! That's why you love her!" She turned the opposite direction of Ash and sobbed a bit. "I'm going home. Stay with your girlfriend. I want nothing to do with you." She sobbed again as she stepped through the doors. Just before Ash had a chance to stop May and talk things out, the doors shut and the train was off, back to Hoenn.

(End of Flashback)

Misty stared at Ash and stepped toward him. "So, if you didn't go to Hoenn with May… where did you go?"

"Home. I didn't know what to do. I thought about going back to tell you what happened, but… I wasn't sure if you wanted to talk." He sat on the chair with his arms crossed. "It was kind of a setback; I didn't expect you to lose…" He sighed, looked to her and faked a smile. "After something like that, I didn't think you'd even want to leave the house…"

"So, what kept you for two years?"

"Fear. Day after day, I'd come over to Cerulean City with the intent of talking to you, but every time I'd walk by your house or the Gym, I'd turn tail and go back home." He put his hands in his pocket and looked away. "Some way for a Pokémon Master to act, eh?"

Misty looked to Ash and smiled a bit. "Pokémon Master or not, sometimes fear happens," the redhead said as she pat his shoulder. She thought of something, smiled and turned away from Ash. "You must have trained May pretty well, Ash. You've gotten so much stronger in doing so, haven't you?"

Ash blushed a bit and chuckled, "Heh heh, I guess you can say that. And I have gotten a little stronger." He regained his composure and gave her a little of a suspicious look. "Why ask, Mist? You hinting at something?" He gave her a grin and leaned closer to her.

"No; I was just asking." She turned away and blushed. If only she could speak her mind. "I just like strong men. I only wish I could be fully honest with you, Ash. But what if… things turn out, just like-"

Misty's thought was interrupted by Ash's cell phone ringing. "Hello?………… Oh, hey, Professor………… Really? A new challenge? Cool!………… Yeah, I'll drop by the lab. Hey, is it classified info? I want Misty to come along………… Alright. We're on our way." He hung up the cell and put it in his pocket. "Wanna come with me to Prof. Oak's lab? He said there was a new challenge on an uncharted island between Hoenn and Kanto. I was kind of hoping you'd come with me to make up for lost time."

Misty's face brightened as a smile spread across her expression. "I'd love to go! I need to get out of the house as well. Let's go to the lab." Ash smiled at her and nodded. He suggested they take Noctowl to Pallet, but Misty wanted to walk. "If we walk, we can make up for the year we've missed. How about that?"

He thought about that for a second or two and shrugged. "Why not? Doesn't seem like a bad idea. Besides, I want to make up for lost time anyway." He nodded and smiled at her. "Sure. Let's walk."

Misty blushed and nodded with a smile. "Okay. Let me get some stuff packed, and we'll get going." She run upstairs into her room to get her things set. "I won't be very long."

"It'll be great traveling with Misty again," he said as he watched her make her way up the staircase. "I sure have missed her…" He thought about her a lot throughout the two years they've been apart. "After what May said, I started having thoughts about our relationship. Do I really love her?…" Ash wasn't sure what it was he was feeling. He felt Misty was always more than just a friend, but he's never really thought about it. He looked back at everything that happened between them over the years and thought maybe he was right about Misty.

After ten minutes, Misty came back down with a fresh change of clothes and a small bag with another set of clothes, sleeping bag and whatnot. It was nearly 6:00, so they may need to camp out on the way. As they made for the door, both Ash and Misty made for the knob and touched each other's hands. Her green eyes met his brown eyes and they both blushed brightly. Ash opened the door and let Misty out first and they made their way to Mt. Moon. As they walked, side-by-side, Misty asked question after question, talked about how much each of them changed and about several things. Ash had his share of questions and subjects to talk about, and it felt just like old times. But there was something different about it…

**End of chapter I**

**Old Endings, New Beginnings**

**Worenx's Corner**

Worenx: Much better than the first one!

Shade: And there is something in the next chapter that explains more than the previous Poké-Quest.

Worenx: You mean the part when—

Shade: Shut up. Don't spoil it for the group of others that haven't read Poké-Quest!

Chachi: Worenx! Aya's running me ragged! I don't wanna be a stagehand no more!

Worenx: Okay. Aya!

Aya: Yes sir?

Worenx: You and Chachi are now on review duty! You guys write the reviews for other stories! Call it, "Review Time with Aya and Chachi!"

Aya: Yes sir!

Chachi: NO! Clings to Worenx: Give her the promo! I'll stay the stagehand! Just don't leave me in the same room as this Trianni maniac!

Aya, dragging Chachi into the radio broadcast room: C'mon, Chachi! We'll have some fun! Eyes turned completely red and smiles like a demon

Chachi: NOOOOO!

Shade: Was that even a good idea?

Worenx: Yes! Now start the Super Elf rewrite! I'll be napping! Slams door behind him

Shade: Trianni maniac…

Worenx, barging through door: STOP SHOUTIN'! I'M NAPPIN'! Slams door behind him


	2. Journey Part I

Pokémon and anything related to Pokémon don't belong to me. I own a handful of attacks and monsters, even some characters, but anything familiar belongs to their respective owners.

New Beginnings 

Mt. Moon trail--

As their conversations died down, Ash and Misty eventually made it to the Mt. Moon trail, a road that was constructed around the mountain to provide safer travels between Pewter City and Cerulean City. Beside the trail was a beautiful river, which seemed to attract Misty's attention. "Such a beautiful sight, isn't Ash," she asked as she continued to gaze at the flowing river of tranquility. Ash looked to Misty with a smile and nodded. "I'll bet you saw many lovely places in Hoenn, haven't you?"

"Yeah. But none that I can think of at the top of my head." He smiled as he remembered all of Hoenn and it's many wondrous splendors. Though no names really came to mind, the recollections were equally as beautiful as they once were when he first saw them. "They were all beautiful, Mist." She smiled a bit and looked back into the clear water of the river. _"But none of it compares to her now. She's grown so much prettier in two years,"_ he thought as he looked up and down. His face turned slightly red as he looked away, adjusting his hat so that the visor was in front.

Misty saw his standard act of bashfulness and looked to him from the corner of her eyes. _"Now would be a good time to tell him…"_ She inched closer to him, still looking to the flowing river. She stopped moving closer to him when she felt her knuckles brush against his. _"Okay… Tell him now, Misty…"_ She took a deep breath and exhaled. Just as she was about to open her mouth to talk, they heard the howl of a Houndour followed by a Houndoom's.

Ash covered her mouth and smiled. "Shh… Hold on. Lately, Houndoom and Houndour around here have been howling together, somehow making a pleasant tune." He let go of her mouth and looked up into the night sky in admiration. They both listened to the sounds of the monster's synchronous howling. "Doesn't it sound great Mist," he asked, looking back to the redhead beside him.

She looked slightly down for a second, but smiled and nodded in response to Ash's question. "Yeah, it does…" _"Damn… If only those Pokémon didn't start their little symphony…"_ Misty's smile slightly faded as she looked away from Ash.

"What's the matter," he asked as he listened to the symphony of howls and looked over to Misty.

"Nothing," she responded, looking back up to meet Ash's gaze.

"Misty…"

"Nothing is wrong, Ash!" Misty looked away again and crossed her arms as they continued walking.

"_Same old Misty… It's probably best just to drop it."_ They started walking at a slower pace as the howling continued. It started getting dark quickly; it seemed like they weren't paying attention to their surroundings or the passage of time. "Hey, Mist. It's getting pretty late. Maybe we should camp here for the night," he suggested, gesturing to the darkened sky.

Misty nodded in agreement. She still didn't look to him. She wanted to tell him, but now she couldn't _"I can't tell him now… It's not the right time."_ Her hand went to her chest and felt her heart beating. _"It hurts… Why does it hurt me?…"_ Misty's attention quickly turned to Ash setting up a tent and having some trouble with the stakes. _"Is it because I'm lying to myself? That I love him and I'm not telling him,"_ she thought as she watched him fumble with the ropes and stakes. Misty allowed herself a laugh at her crush's expense.

"Huh? You think this is funny, Mist," he asked with a chuckle of his own.

"It's really funny. Someone who's been camping out for nearly eight years having trouble with a tent?"

"Well, this technology boggles my mind," he joked and pointed to her with the point of the stake. "It's very 'sophistimocated' stuff I'm dealing with," he continued, trying to sound smart.

The 'sophistimocated' part got her giggling a bit. She loved it when he acted like a fool. Though in the past, it wasn't intentional. _"It's better when he's playing around,"_ she commented to herself. _"I've missed him so much."_

Hours into the night, as Ash slept in the tent, Misty remained awake and gazed off into the midnight sky lost in thought. _"Two years… It's been two years since I saw him last… And that was a long two years…"_ She sighed and pressed her knees to her chest. _"Night after night, I've had dreams about telling my feelings to him. But for each dream, I've had a nightmare about telling him how I feel."_ She rolled onto her back and continued to stare off at the cloudy night sky. _"What happens if I tell him, and he doesn't feel the same way? What if he laughs at me? What if… he found someone else?…"_ She didn't know what she would do if Ash had already found someone. Misty bolted up with a chill down her spine. _"What if after first kiss I don't feel anything in it? That would be the worst… That I've been chasing someone that I can't ever have…"_

Ash crawled out of the tent, wiped his eyes and looked toward Misty, still gazing up at the sky. He walked up to the redhead and sat beside her, looking to her. "Have you slept at all Misty," he asked, concerned.

She didn't look to him. Her eyes were focused on the night sky above her. "Not much…"

"Well, what have you been doing all night?"

She hesitated to answer. _"Oh, just thinking about the consequences of me telling you how much I love you,"_ she thought. "Nothing. Nothing at all…"

He looked to her, slightly confused. "You know, you've been acting strangely since those Houndour and Houndoom started howling. Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Yes. Don't worry about it Ash. I'm fine," she assured him, still not looking toward him.

He noticed she hadn't looked at him since he sat down. "Are you… mad at me or something?"

"No," she answered simply.

"Well, you're acting like it." He continued to look to her, though she still isn't looking at him. "Is it because of that two year separation?"

That hit her. "Two years?…" She stood up and looked down at the sitting Ash as tears welled in her eyes. Ash got to his feet and stood before her. Without another word, she dove into Ash's arms and started crying into his chest. "Ash, don't ever leave me like that again," she wailed.

Ash didn't know what to do. He held her closer and pat her back as she continued to cry. "I won't Misty. I promise I won't ever leave you again," Ash declared and rubbed her back softly. "I'm not as stupid as I was two years ago. It'll never happen again…"

Misty sniffled and looked back into his brown eyes. "R-really?… Never again?…" He nodded to her with a little smile. Wiping her tears away, a small smile crept onto her face. "You don't know how happy that makes me feel, Ash," she admitted, smiling even wider.

Ash chuckled a bit and wrapped an arm around her waist. He realized where his hand was and moved it up to her back, blushing brightly. _"I wonder if those thoughts ever crossed her mind… If friends could become more than friends…"_ he thought, still holding the redhead close to him. He swallowed and decided to give it a try… But what if she didn't think it was possible? What would happen to him? _"Being a Pokémon Master means taking risks…"_ He looked to Misty's green eyes with hopeful admiration. "Misty?…"

The aquatic trainer looked up from her daze to see his eyes staring into hers. With a slight blush, she responded, "Yes… Ash?…"

Still paralyzed by nervousness, Ash only managed to scratch the back of his head. And look to a nearby tree branch lit by the moon. "Do you think friends could become something more… than just friends," he asked with a slight hesitation.

"_Wow… Has that thought really occurred to him,"_ she thought, noticing his hesitation. "Well… why do you ask?" Misty didn't know what to say, so she answered with another question. _"This might get Ash really nervous if he means what I think he does…"_

Ash had a feeling she'd respond like that, so after the question was asked he prepared a response. "Ah, a friend of mine, Din, wanted to know if he should ask out a girl he knew since childhood. But since he doesn't know any other girls, and he couldn't very well ask her what she thought. Sierra is a smart girl and she'll see through a cheap front like that," Ash explained confidently.

Misty was a little stunned. Had Ash have been lying, Misty couldn't tell. When he lied, you knew it. But this time, she wasn't sure. "Din and Sierra, eh? Did you just make that up," she asked with a playful smile.

Once again, Ash had known Misty's reaction to his explanation. He had purposely used two people he _did_ know for real, and Din had indeed asked him that question involving his crush, Sierra. "No, I didn't," he said, pulling out his cell phone, "They're right here in my address book." Ash scrolled through several numbers of trainers he's faced and befriended. "Din Raidros; Pyro-Master… Sierra Takémora; Ice Princess," he read and showed the skeptical redhead before him.

Once again, Misty was stunned. Ash might have been telling the truth, but she couldn't tell if he was. Then again, she couldn't tell if he wasn't. He sounded confident, without a hint of nervousness; a strong sign he wasn't fibbing. She sighed and looked down with a perturbed expression. "Okay then… Tell Din I don't think so," she lied. Recently, Misty had perfected her lying abilities and made them almost undetectable unless by a machine. _"I want to tell him, but I'm not ready yet…"_ She thought of the consequences of that outright lie, and the thoughts weren't pretty… But she hoped Ash would wait for her to build up her courage.

Ash was greatly affected by that, but he kept his face straight so Misty wouldn't see his reaction. He rested his chin in his palm and pretended to think her answer over. "Hmmm… Okay, I'll let Din know first thing tomorrow…"

"Tell him that I said I was sorry for raining on his parade…"

"Ah, it's okay Mist. Din's faced many a downpour in his days; a little drizzle won't matter." He looked around, taking note to the already dark sky darkening around him. "Well, I'm gonna go back to sleep," he mentioned as he stretched. He gestured to the tent behind him and looked to Misty. "Want the tent?"

She shook her head and turned away a bit. "No, it's alright. I'm just gonna stay awake a bit longer and watch the stars." Ash nodded and started for the tent again. Just before he got in, he gave Misty a short glance, sighed and continued in. Misty gave a sigh herself and watched the sky, her thoughts of her lie returning to haunt her. _"Ash will wait for me… At least… I hope…"_

In the tent, Ash had suffered quite a setback. He hadn't detected Misty's usual cracking voice as she lied, which he was looking for. "I guess she was telling the truth…" The master in the way of Pokémon thought more into it and found it only hurt him more. He loved her, but more than in the friend sort of way. He wanted her to know that, but now that she tells him she doesn't believed friends can become more, Ash discovered he could never make Misty his. If she didn't think it could happen, there's no way. She was out of his reach… With another sigh, he crawled into his sleeping bag and turned to his side. "I guess I'll have to see someone else…" Just as he closed his eyes, he thought of his old friend. "Let me see what she thinks…" He pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and started writing a letter. "Dear Crystal…"

The next morning, they made their way down the trail, not looking at each other.. Occasionally, they'd glance at each other, but for no more than a second and they never met each other's gaze. It was a quite couple of hours to Pewter City. Misty sighed to herself a few times, but Ash never really noticed. Things were awkward until something had finally happened…

Pewter City--

"Hey! You Ash Ketchum," a trainer wearing a bandana over his hair and a pair of dark sunglasses called out, pointing to Ash.

"Yeah, I'm Ash. So who wants to know?"

The trainer smirked and picked up a Pokéball from his belt and pointed it at Ash. "I've come from Johto to do battle with the alleged Pokémon Master! And I won't take no for an answer!"

Ash shrugged and picked up one of his Pokéballs. "Fine then. Let's do it. Three on three." He looked to Misty and whispered to her. "Small fry."

"Three on three is fine! Go, Scizor," the trainer announced and tossed his ball out between him and Ash. The red bug appeared from the ball and clamped his claws together.

"Go, Typlosion," Ash called haphazardly, seeing as this won't take long. When the monster appeared from his prison, he roared powerfully, flames spewing from his back like an active volcano. "Attack it with Scorch Wheel." The flames intensified and began to fall all over him, engulfing Typhlosion. With another mighty roar, six fireballs erupted from his body and sent them spiraling towards the opposing Scizor. It never stood a chance.

"Ah! Scizor!" The flames had subdued and knocked Scizor out cold. With the added damage from the Steel type, he was defeated even before the attack connected. "Return." The Steel/Bug was recalled into the ball and the trainer looked up at Ash with a smirk. "That was just round one! Here's round two! Gyarados!" He threw out another ball and the giant serpentine monster emerged from the ball with a roar that rivaled Typhlosion's. "Attack with Hydro Pump!"

"Typhlosion, Sunny Day!" Without a moment's hesitation, Typhlosion roared to the sky and the clouds drifted apart and a beam of sun tore through them and around the competitors. The Hydro Pump hit him dead on, but with Sunny Day, some of the water was dissolved and caused less damage. "Now that that's out of the way, belt this Gyarados with Thunder Claw," Ash commanded and pointed to the opposing serpent. The flames on Typhlosion's back became surged with electricity, as with his claws.

_Thunder Claw Electric ATK:100 ACC:100 An attack that takes two turns to prepare. Has a 20 chance of causing Paralysis. Worenx Note(WN): The name originates from Capcom's Megaman VIII. This variation is mine, but the name is Capcom's_

"Quick! Attack it with a Hyper Beam," the trainer shouted, pointing to the surging Typhlosion. Gyarados took in some energy to its mouth and fired a large beam from it. The beam collided with Typhlosion, dealing a fair amount of damage, but not enough to knock it out. "Damn!" With Gyarados exhausted from his attack, Typhlosion dashed to his target and slashed at it with his electrified claws, damaging it tremendously and defeating it.

Misty couldn't help but gawk at how much stronger Ash's Pokémon had become and how much he improved his battling skills. _"Two years is a long time, after all. Too bad after my fight with May, I pretty much gave up battling."_ She sat on a rock and watched as the trainer recalled the K.O.'ed Gyarados. _"This should be good."_

"You may have beaten my heavy hitters, but you can't handle what I have next! Ampharos! Show em' what you're made of!" He tossed the ball in the middle and the yellow monster emerged in a thunderous flash. "Thunderbolt!" Ampharos swaggered his tail as it began to surge with electricity. With a wave of his arms, a large bolt fired out towards Typhlosion.

With a yawn, Ash pointed to the Thunderbolt. "Counter that with Ground Scimitar." Quickly, Typhlosion dug his claw into the ground and slashed upward, unearthing the ground and blocking the Thunderbolt with it. With the attack cancelled, Typhlosion kicked the earth formation and sent it hurdling towards Ampharos. It connected and knocked the yellow creature to the ground.

Ground Scimitar Ground ATK:75 ACC:90 An attack that always starts first and blocks any attack besides Flying, Water, Grass and Ice types. The turn following, deals Ground-based damage.

"No! I didn't stand a chance," the once confident trainer cried as he dropped to his knees. He stood back up and took off the bandana covering his hair fiery red hair and dyed yellow spikes in front. With a flick of the wrist, he removed his sunglasses revealing a pair of crimson red eyes. "Very well. I'll accept my loss. But hear me out," he started and pointed to Ash. "I will redeem myself on Sleight Island! Remember the name Catra Worenx," the trainer shouted before dashing off.

"What was that all about," Ash asked Misty, scratching his head.

"I dunno, Ash… But perhaps we should get to Professor Oak's lab and we might just be able to understand what just happened," the redhead suggested.

Ash nodded and crossed his arms. "Maybe the Prof. knows something about this." He looked back to Typhlosion and gave him a thumbs up. "Good job!" With pleasing his trainer, the titanic beast of volcanic flames roared a loud, victorious roar. Ash recalled his Pokémon into his circular home with the red beam. "Let's go, Mist," he said, attaching the ball to his belt and gesturing for Misty to walk in front of him.

Viridian City Pallet Town--

Misty looked around from the hill overlooking Pallet Town and sighed. Pallet has always been her home away from home, and the cool, pleasant air drifted to her senses once again. "Mmmm… A smell I haven't smelled in a long while," she commented.

"Yeah, it _has_ been awhile since you were last here." Ash recalled the time before he left for Johto when he and Misty spend a lot of their time in the Ketchum household. It was during her fist visit, before the Pokémon League competition, that he started developing feelings for the fiery redhead. _"Boy, that was a long time ago… almost eight years…"_

"How's your mom, Ash," she asked, concerned about Delia.

"She's fine. After we talk to the Professor, you could visit her. I'm sure she'd be glad to see you." Misty nodded; she'd like to see his mother again. Delia was one of the few people that knew how she felt for Ash and it would be nice to have someone to talk to about it. "Alright then, let's go see the Prof.," Ash said and started down the hill towards Oak's lab. Misty smiled widely and followed Ash quickly.

Once they opened the door to Oak's lab, Ash and Misty were greeted by their old friend, Tracey Sketchet from the Orange Islands. "Hey guys! How've you been," he asked excitedly and ran to Misty with a hug. After greeting her, he turned to Ash. "So you finally went to see her, eh Ash," he asked and gestured to the redhead.

Ash nodded with a smirk and slipped his hands in his pockets. "Yup. Sure did, Trace. Of course I was biding my time for those two years."

Just before he named off another, obvious lie, Misty covered his mouth. She looked to Tracey with a big smile. "I think it's safe to say he was scared, Trace."

Tracey laughed a bit at Misty's reaction. "You guys haven't changed a bit," he commented with a slight chuckle. Of course, listening to them, they haven't changed. But _looking_ at them, they were completely different and Tracey found it hard to look away from the voluptuous Misty's more mature form. "Well, the Professor's waiting for you inside Ash. I'm gonna go somewhere to sketch. Later guys. Nice seeing you again, Mist." With his trusty sketchbook and sketching pencil, he stepped beside them and started off for his secret sketch spot.

As soon as Oak saw Ash and Misty walking up, he placed his pen down on his desk, stood up and greeted them. "Why, hello Misty! My, how you've matured," he greeted the former Cerulean Gym Leader and shook her hand. "Oh, and hello Ash," he said flatly to Ash with a joking smile.

"Oh… I see how it is," the Master said flatly with the same playful smirk. "So, Prof., what exactly is this challenge you wanted to tell me about," he asked, very interested.

The Professor straightened up and kept his hand in the pocket of his lab coat. "A new island has been discovered, somewhere off the coast of the furthest Orange Island, called Sleight Island," he started after clearing his throat. "As the name implies, you must apply every bit of your craftiness to survive. You go around the island, gathering the six card keys; Alpha, Beta, Delta, Theta, Gamma and Sigma; to gain access to the middle city known as Omega, where the finals will begin."

Ash looked confused at the Professor. "Doesn't sound so crafty to me."

"Ah, but there's a catch," Oak continued, "See, in each of the cities, the leader of the area will assign a random Pokémon that you, the trainer, must capture. If he or she says to capture a Pikachu, you must go out and capture a Pikachu."

"Still doesn't sound tough…"

"I'm not done yet. They show you a photograph of a specific Pikachu, and you must capture that very Pikachu. If it has a gash over its left cheek, you must find the Pikachu with a gash over it's left cheek, catch it, and use that Pikachu to fight him or her. You can train it as much as you want, so long as you use it."

Ash admitted that it _did_ sound pretty tough. He remembered playing a card game on his VG-Boy and the harder version played using a "closed deck" system where you must use a predetermined deck that you cannot change. "Wow Professor…" This challenge was very interesting, and Ash, being the thrill seeker he is, couldn't help it. "This sounds awesome! Sign me up," he declared, thrusting a fist out before him. Misty smiled and giggled a bit.

(WN): VG Boy is a made-up video game system like a GBA SP. The game Ash is referring to is an adaptation of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories; Reverse/Rebirth mode.

"I was hoping you'd say that, Ash. Gary is already on the first boat there. Perhaps if you leave tonight, you won't far so behind," the Professor explained. "Gary found out about this about a week before I did. I wish I could have told you sooner."

"That Gary! Oooh, I'll kill him," Ash growled and clenched a fist. "Wanna come with me, Mist? This will be a great opportunity to catch up!"

"Oh, I'd love to Ash," she exclaimed. Her bright smile soon faded into a small frown. "But… don't I need a ticket?"

Oak smiled at Misty again. "I was hoping Ash would have the courage to visit you yesterday and make amends with you. I thought ahead and," he said as he reached into his lab coat pocket again, "got a second ticket for you, Misty." Her smile was revived as he produced two boat tickets to Sleight Island, one for each of the aspiring teens.

"Oh, thank you so much, Professor," Misty exclaimed and hugged the authority on Pokémon knowledge.

"Yeah, thanks, Prof. You rule!"

"Well, don't waste you're time thanking me. You can do that later! You two better get packed and be at Vermillion City by sunset," he explained to them.

Ash and Misty nodded, thanked the Professor again and went on their way to pack their things. This new challenge seemed very enticing to Ash Ketchum. He hoped he would dominate with his incredible battling skill and prowess. _"I'm the Pokémon Master! This should be a piece of cake,"_ he thought with a wide smirk as he and Misty walked to his house.

Delia was in the living room, watching the latest news on the new challenge attracting many trainers across Kanto. When her son walked into the room, she jumped up and saw a flash of red hair. "Oh my goodness! Misty? How have you been, sweetie," she cried to the redhead and ran to her for a hug.

Ash smirked at the gesture. "Hello son. How was your night? I missed you," he said, playfully imitating his mother's voice. "Hi mom. My night was great. I missed you too."

Misty couldn't help but laugh. "It's really nice to see you again, Ms. Ketchum," she greeted with a slight Japanese bow.

"Please, call me Delia, Misty. You're pretty much family," she responded. Though she knew what Ash said, she decided to go on with her little gag.

With a sigh, Ash continued talking to himself, "Did you hear about the new challenge all the trainers are going on about?" He crossed his arms and nodded. "Yes I have. I am going to give it a shot, mother. Wish me luck." He clapped his hands once and smiled widely. "Oh! good luck, son! Make your father and all of Pallet proud!" He stooped when he realized he had an audience.

Both Misty and Delia laughed at his overreaction. "Okay. I'm sorry Ash. But it's been almost six years since I saw her," she said and hugged her son, kissing him on the cheek.

"Well, I got to get packed. Afterward, I have to take Mist home so she can pack," he explained and started for the stairs. "Sorry we can't stay long, Mom! You two catch up!"

As Ash ran up the stairs to his room, both women looked each other in the eyes. Delia suddenly clapped her hands, startled Misty, and smiled at the redhead. "So, have you told Ash?" Misty knew just what Delia was talking about. Had she told Ash her feelings? She looked away and shook her head a bit. "You haven't?"

"I can't, Delia," she admitted, turning to Mrs. Ketchum. "I love your son so much, but I can't let him know yet." She held her chest a bit and looked away again. "What if he doesn't love me back?… I don't think my heart an take that…"

The older woman knew how she felt. She put her hand on Misty's shoulder and gave her a hopeful smile. "Well, good luck over there. This will be a long hard journey for Ash, and you'll be with him every step of the way." Delia pulled Misty into a tight embrace. "You're bound to find each other one night. You will know if it's right the moment you kiss. And if he doesn't think it's right, and he just might, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of good men like my Ash," she explained to the young woman in her arms.

Misty returned the hug and smiled. "Thanks Delia. I'll remember this over there."

Ash returned from his room with his bag over his shoulder and saw his mother and Misty in each others embrace. "Hey, did I miss something," he asked with a chuckle.

Delia and Misty stepped out of each others arms and looked to Ash. "No, I just told Misty how much I've missed her visits."

"Sorry to have to pull her away, but we've got a tough schedule to keep up with," he apologized and kissed his mom as he walked by. "Come on Mist."

"Coming, Ash. It was nice seeing you again, Delia," Misty said with another Japanese bow and headed out. Just before Delia closed the door, she waved to her son and Misty and wished them the best of luck. They decided to fly to Cerulean on Ash's Noctowl to save time. As they were in the air, Misty continued to think about what Mrs. Ketchum said and hoped that when she and Ash kiss, they would both feel that it was right. But she was more focused on _when_ to kiss him. She feared that if they kiss too early or too late, their friendship would be destroyed. _"It's all in the timing,"_ she declared as they flew off towards Cerulean City to gather her stuff for their first journey in a long time.

End of Chapter II 

**Journey; Part I**

**Worenx's Corner**

_Worenx_: Wow! Chapter 2 turned out really nice, Shade!

_Shade_: Well, I didn't think so. It took me long enough, that's for sure…

_Worenx_: Lemme guess, writer's block?…

_Shade_: No, it just took me awhile to come up with what to write! Yes, writer's block!

_Worenx_: Yeesh! Watch it, Shade! Trianni's have sensitive ears, remember?

_Shade_: Whatever… Now leave, I've got Super Elf to work on…

_Worenx_: Wow! More initiative than Chachi ever had!

_Shade_: I SAID GET OUT!

_Worenx_: Ow, ears! EARS! _Leaves_

_Shade_: It's about time… Maybe now I can get some work done… _Computer crashes_ …Grrrr…


	3. Journey Part II

Pokémon and anything related to Pokémon don't belong to me. I own a handful of attacks and monsters, even some characters, but anything familiar belongs to their respective owners. The things that belong to me are marked with a (W) after the description.

**New Beginnings**

--Cerulean City--

Ash and Misty were dropped off by Noctowl right in front of her home. She was visibly thrilled to go on an adventure with Ash again, and that made him happy. Especially considering the events of the night before. He watched as she went inside and up the stairs with a sorrowful expression. _"Quit chasing her, Ash. You can't have her,"_ he thought, reaching into his pocket. Then he remembered the letter he wrote the night before. He pulled it out slowly and looked around for a mailbox. _"If Misty were to see this, she'd ask a lot of questions."_ Thoughts went through his head as to what questions she'd ask.

Who's Crystal? What is she to you? When did you meet her? Why are you writing to her? Where did you meet her? How did you meet her? For a reason even Ash didn't know, he didn't want Misty to find out. It wasn't really her business that Crystal is a childhood friend. She _does_ have a bad tendency to get into someone's personal affairs. He shook his head and continued his search for a nearby mailbox. Luck shined on him when he finally found one. _"Thank you,"_ he thought and looked up.

Misty rummaged through her clothes for outfits that'll impress Ash. She was thinking about low cut tops, tight jeans and lots of skirts. She wanted to look nice for him, possibly for him to get the picture about how she really feels about him. While she searched for her short red skirt she came across a rather revealing night dress. She held it in front of her body and cocked her head as she looked at her reflection. Her breathing became a little harder. "This… is for the night I tell him," she told herself and sighed. The dress was the first thing she packed, followed by the rest of her stuff. With her bag packed for a long adventure, she bid her sisters goodbye and stepped out with Ash awaiting her.

--Vermillion City--

Noctowl dropped them off in front of the dock and was recalled into the ball in Ash's hands. "Alright Mist. Let's get this adventure started," he declared to her with a cocky smirk. She smiled back and nodded at him with an expression of assurance. As they walked down the docks, a familiar laugh approached them, with large footsteps on the boardwalk. "Is that who I think it is," he asked the redhead beside him.

The Pokémon master's assumption was correct. The laugh belonged to none other than Lt. Surge. "Well, if it isn't Ash Ketchum, the Pokémon Master of the world," the jovial army lieutenant greeted with a hearty backslap. "And Misty, if I remember correctly." They both turned to face the dark skinned gym leader with wide smiles. He took one look at Misty and whistled, "Whoa, talk about baby to babe!"

Worenx Note(WN): If memory serves, Surge called Ash and Misty "Baby" a lot. If I'm wrong, someone correct me. 

Misty smiled and blushed at Surge's comment. "How've you been Lt.," Ash asked, happy to see his old friend.

Surge cracked a smile and pat the shoulder of a little guy next to him. "Great. My nephew here has decided to become a Pokémon trainer like his father and uncle," he explained and muzzed the boy's blonde hair. "He heard of this competition and got all excited, so I'm gonna accompany him and give him some pointers."

Ash inspected the boy and smiled at him. "Hey there, little dude. What's your name?"

"My name is Jim. But people call me Sparky," he answered, saying Sparky proudly.

"Hey Surge, he looks a little young. How old is he," Ash asked and put his hands in his pockets.

With a bright smile able to light all of Saffron, Surge crossed his arms and looked to the sky proudly. "He's going on eight. He's a real hotshot too! Just like his uncle." Ash looked confused. "Because his uncle is a gym leader, he has special privileges and can become a trainer as early as six, as long as they can devise a strategy of some kind."

"That's true, Ash. Because my mom was a leader, I became a trainer at seven," Misty added in. Ash nodded in understanding as the redhead knelt in front of Sparky. "What strategy do you use?"

"I attack hard and quickly with Electric-based moves," he announced with a jolt of energy. This kid was a Surge, alright. Misty giggled at his spunk and vigor. "What game plan do you use, Miss," Sparky asked politely.

Misty shook her head and her smile diminished a bit, "I used to use an all-out Water type offensive, but I'm all washed up. I don't fight anymore."

The avuncular Lieutenant's face became distorted with shock at Misty's revelation. "What was that again? You don't battle anymore?" The shock dissolved off his face and became sadness. "Last I checked, you were a gym leader."

Ash looked away with shame. He felt it was _his_ fault Misty stopped battling. If he didn't bring May back with him, she wouldn't have challenged Misty to that fight, which was her last. Or it may have been because Ash wasn't at her side to kick her back into shape after such a setback. _"Her prized Kingdra lost to a Blaziken. That should be enough to break someone's fighting spirit,"_ he thought, shifted his cap's visor a little over his eyes and stuffed his hands into his pocket.

Misty nodded and rubbed her arm nervously. "I just seemed to have lost my luster," she admitted. "Not just that, but I haven't had the heart for it."

The Surges both looked a little upset about her giving up, but they quickly bounced back and put on the traditional smile that can light up an entire city. "Well, that's too bad. But you must have more personal reasons you don't wanna share," Lt. Uncle said and pat Sparky's back in a manly fashion, nearly knocking him down. "This little guy could've learned a thing or two from ya."

Misty blushed and looked to Ash, "Sparky can still learn from the Pokémon Master; he doesn't need a washed-up gym leader like me." Surge laughed heartily again and walked to Ash.

"You're entering this competition too, eh? Well, you're gonna need the best of luck," he told Ash and put on a stern face. "The first rounds are said to separate the men from the boys, women from the girls, and the weak from the strong. Everything from then on will be much harder." The leader warned the trainers with a very, un-Surge-like, expression. Ash knew for a fact that this challenge was not going to be easy, but coming from a great battler like Surge, this competition must be very tough.

Ash nodded and looked up to Surge's gaze. "Thanks, Lieutenant," he said with a salute, "Good to know someone knows what to expect over there."

When Ash, Misty, Surge and Sparky made it to the boat, they flashed their tickets to the guard and were admitted into the S.S. Aqua. "I have a good idea, Uncle," Sparky said excitedly, attracting attention. "Why not room with Ash and Misty? Maybe the three of you can give me some pointers! Then I'll be in better shape for the competition!"

"That'd be a great idea, Sparky!" Surge looked to the two trainers and gestured to his nephew, "That is if it's alright with them."

Ash looked to Misty and shrugged. The redhead shrugged as well. "It's fine with us. Between a leader, a master and a former leader, you're bound to get some great suggestions to build an unstoppable team," Ash said and turned his hat around, striking a pose.

--S.S. Aqua (room)--

Hours after boarding the ship, the four trailed to their room, chatting all the way about basic Pokémon knowledge, battle strategies, well rounded teams, and training advice. With the utmost interest, Sparky listened intently the words the two leaders and the master had to say. His blue eyes were wide with excitement, and shiny as recently cleaned marble. This went on for a good three hours after entering the room. Eventually, Sparky was sound asleep on his bed, dreaming about the competition and all the advice he was just given.

"I can't thank you two enough for helping out my nephew," Surge said in a whisper to Ash and Misty.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Surge," Ash said, also in a whisper. "He'll be a great trainer in no time."

"Just like his uncle," Misty added in and winked.

Surge smiled at them and climbed onto the lower bunk, under Sparky. "Now," with a yawn, "if you don't mind, I'm gonna hit the hey. I'll see you two in the morning, bright and early." With that, he yawned again and fell to the pillow, instantly falling asleep…

Almost 20 minutes later, Misty fell asleep on the top bunk and Ash was left up by himself. He laid on his back and thought about the only girl to make his heart ache and how he could no longer have her. With a sigh, he got up and put his shoes on, hoping a walk may be able to calm his mind. Just as Ash was about to leave, he heard Misty mumble something. He got a little closer to her bunk to hear a little better. "…Ash," she said softly and turned on her side. Ash began listening to her dream about him. He got a little closer, with his growing curiosity. "…You… You idiot…" His eyes narrowed at that. With another sigh, he headed for the door and stepped out into the hall. As the door shut, blush crept on her face and a small giggle escaped her. "You _are_ an idiot… That's why I love you…"

--S.S. Aqua (deck)--

He laid on the deck looking up at the starry, midnight sky, thinking about the competition that will put his Pokémon handling skills to the test. What types of monsters would he encounter? Which of those types would he have to capture? What dangers await him? These thoughts buzzed around his head like a bunch of angry Beedrill. His hair blew back with the wind as the island appeared off in the distance. "Sleight Island," he said to himself. Ash turned his attention to an interesting-looking white haired guy. On his cheek was a white marking, and with his eyes closed, he couldn't tell the color eyes. He wore some kind of blue coat and on his arm was an odd-looking contraption. "Is he a trainer or something," Ash asked himself and stood up.

"Wess? Where'd you go, Wess," a voice called, getting this guys attention. He opened his eyes, revealing two yellow eyes, and turned to face the origin of the voice. A young-looking redhead walked out onto the deck and into this guy's arms. "What are you doing up so late? You should be asleep," she said as she nuzzled up to his chest.

Wess smirked a bit and looked into her large blue eyes. "_Me_? _You're_ the one in the competition. _You_, if anything, should be sleeping." She looked up and smiled at him. "This should be good training for you, Rui."

The girl, apparently Rui, pulled out of Wess's embrace and looked to Ash, who had been watching them. "Hello," she called happily to him, but blushing like mad. Ash waved a little.

"What can we do for you, pal," Wess asked and put his hands in his coat pocket.

Ash stood up and walked towards them. "I was just wondering if you're a Pokémon trainer," he said and put his hands in his pockets. Wess nodded and smirked a bit. With a smirk of his own, Ash shot the white-haired youth a competitive glare. "Feel up to a battle?" Without another word, Wess pulled out a Pokéball and showed it to Ash.

"Alright! Three on three battle! Best two out of three," Rui announced to anyone willing to watch a battle, "Ash VS Wess! Ready…… GO!"

Wess started by calling out his trusty Espeon, Ash called on Donphan. The monsters burst out of their spherical homes and took their positions before their masters. Each giving the other a piercing glare. Same goes for the trainers. They both seemed one with their Pokémon.

"Alright, Donphan! Rollout," Ash commanded and pointed a finger at the opposing Espeon. With an elephant-like cry, the tusked monster rolled into a ball and propelled itself at the lavender creature.

Calm as calm can be, Wess smirked at the oncoming target and looked to Espeon, who looked back with pure tranquility in her eyes. "Counter Force." The gem on her head flickered bright red. The instant Donphan made contact, he was hurled back and slammed harshly onto the ground. "A very interesting attack that deflects any attack, but at a certain price," Wess explained to the obviously dumbfounded Ash.

--Counter Force Psychic ATK:70 ACC:85 A defensive move that deflects any attack(except Dark and Bug), negating any effects the attack might have. Inflicts some normal damage on the target. The user loses a substantial amount of Special Defense.(W)

Donphan recovered from the pushback and shook his head about. "That Counter Force is gonna be one tough defense to break," Ash thought aloud. "Okay, let's try something else, Donphan."

"A little word of advice, before you get too far into your thinking," the white-haired guy interrupted, "Discuss things in private."

Ash blushed a bit out of embarrassment and chuckled nervously. "Whoops…"

--S.S. Aqua (room)--

Misty's eyes slowly fluttered open to see Sparky and Surge sprawled out on the bed, snoring away. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she felt thirsty, so she got up to stretch and headed towards the door. As she stepped into the hall, a small group of trainers sped by with great haste. "C'mon, Gene! We're gonna miss the battle at this rate," the small kid of the group called back to his friend in the way back.

"Shut up, Jim! I'm on my way!" he yelled back, tossing his jacket on and hopping as he tried to tie his boot. "Seen one battle, seen em' all! What's the point?" the redhead called to Jim as he rushed by Misty.

_WN: XD If you don't recognize those names, there is something wrong with you. XP Just kidding. Gene and Jim from Outlaw Star don't belong to me._

She watched on in confusion and blinked a few times. "Battle?" Then she thought about Ash, "Ash would love to see this," and rushed back into the room, turning the light on, waking Surge and Sparky. "There's a battle going on the deck! C'mon guys!"

Surge yawned loudly and cracked his back. "A battle?"

"A battle? Let's go, Uncle Surge," his nephew chimed with sparkly eyes. Surge grinned the grin of grins and mussed his hair. "Yay!"

Misty climbed the step ladder to wake Ash, only to find Ash wasn't there. "Where'd Ash go?" She figured he was probably on deck, watching the fight. _"Wait a minute. If there's a battle going on, knowing Ash he's probably the one battling!"_ She leapt off the ladder and stepped out into the hall, leaving them behind. _"This might actually be fun to watch,"_ she commented as she recalled the last battle she saw with that Worenx character.

--S.S. Aqua (deck)--

Donphan went down with a loud crash. Ash quickly recalled the pachyderm-esc monster and thought for a second as he eyes his opponent's Espeon and the attacks he had been using. _"Counter Force lowers it's resistance to special attacks, but Psych Force boosts it up again. Then there's Psychic and Return to worry about…"_ The only way he could see winning is using a Dark type. But unfortunately for him, the only monster he had with a Dark attack was Feraligatr. It was his only shot. "Go! Feraligatr! Attack with Crunch!" As the ball opened and the giant blue gator dove at the defending Espeon, mouth wide open and showing it's massive jaws, glowing with a sort of demonic aura.

_--Psych Force Psychic ACC:100 Attack that inflicts no damage, but may lower the target's Special Attack and increase the user's Special Defense by an equal amount.(W)_

Wess's eyes widened as the azure monster flew through the air. "Espeon! Psych Force!" Espeon flashed blue as Feraligatr flashed red. The attack connected and inflicted enough damage to knock her out of the battle. As he recalled her into the ball, he shot Ash a grin. "Now that's more like it." He picked out another Pokéball from his belt and tossed it into the field. "Umbreon, go!"

Just then, Misty, Sparky and Surge stepped out on the deck and saw the two trainers engaged in combat. Right away, she knew Ash was one of them just by the back of his head. From where they were standing, they had almost a perfect view of Ash's opponent; white hair, yellow eyes and a long blue trench coat-like jacket. "Uncle! The battle's already started," Sparky whined and tugged at Surge's fatigues. Misty was too distracted to hear; she blushed furiously when she realized where she was looking…

"Spiral Jab," Ash commanded and pointed to Umbreon. The gator Pokémon growled and reared back it's mighty fist as bluish energy flowed into it…

_--Spiral Jab Fighting ATK:140 ACC:85 Powerful Fighting type attack that takes two turns to attack.(W)_

"Don't let him attack you, Umbreon," Wess's eyes gleamed with a plan, "Stop him with Push Back!" The Dark Pokémon's eyes flashed a brighter red than they already were as he sprinted towards his opponent. As Feraligatr was about to swing powerfully, Umbreon dove forward and hammered him with a powerful head butt. Almost the instant he landed, Umbreon back flipped and kicked in the water monster's jaw, knocking him backward.

--Push Back Normal ATK: 30 ACC: 100 Attacks twice; each attack has a 50 chance of inflicting a critical hit. If either of the attacks is a critical attack, any attack the opponent is preparing(Skull Bash, Sky Attack, ect.) is canceled.(W)

As his monster's fist stopped glowing, Ash immediately knew what that attack was capable of.. He cursed to himself and shook his head. "Hydro Pump!" Feraligatr reared back and shot out a blast of water straight for the Dark monster before him. _"Unless this Umbreon has the same abilities as that Espeon, I'm in trouble…"_

"Umbreon, show em' your Dark Force!" The rings on the Umbreon's body began to glow brightly as his black fur darkened. The blast of water began to whiz at him at a high speed. Just before it hit, a black energy shield formed around him, and an instant later it shattered into several black shards. Hydro Pump connected, and Umbreon stood back up, with powerful glaring eyes. He opened his mouth as if to roar, and a large black beam shot out and plowed into the gator and knocked him out. After, Umbreon fell to his knees, unable to continue the fight…

--Dark Force Dark ACC: 100 The user inflicts damage to the target equal to 3 times the damage dealt from a Special attack or 2 times the damage dealt from a physical attack.

Both trainers were down to their last monster, and Ash was wondering who he should choose. And what this Wess guy was planning. Just as Ash reached for his belt, not wanting to wait and see what Wess is going to call out, "Go for it, Eeveeon!" The ball flew out and opened up in the air and a larger version of Eevee appeared from a bright flash. It looked like a combination of Eevee and Umbreon.

Ash blinked as he looked to this Eeveeon. "What in the world is that," he asked with obvious admiration and awe. This creature was beautiful! He wanted to know how he could get a hold of one. He reached into his pocket to retrieve the handy Poké-Dex. Eeveeon: The Evolution Pokémon. Another alternate evolutionary stage of Eevee. Present an Eevee with a Terra Stone and it will evolve into Eeveeon. In this form, the Pokémon will feel closer and more attached to its trainer and will bond much faster. There is still one more stage after this. "Note to self: Get an Eeveeon."

­_--Eeveeon: Picture Eevee, only a matured version.(W)_

_--Terra Stone: One of the rarest stones of all. Only a half million of them are created every eon or so. Contains the powers of the earth.(W)_

"Yeah, very handy to have around," Wess commented and gave Ash a cocky grin.

Ash reached for his third Pokéball when he heard someone pushing through the heavily accumulated crowd. _"When did the crowd get this big,"_ he wondered as he saw a spike of red hair, followed by some blonde hair and partially a forehead. He knew automatically that it was Misty and Surge, and behind Surge is most likely Sparky. "Okay! I choose you, Heracross!" The ball opened and out came the Herculean beetle Pokémon with a happy cry. He opened his wings and let them flutter before tucking them back in. "Fighting VS Normal! This could be easy," Ash spouted and struck an arrogant pose.

"Are you mouthing off, Ash Ketchum," came a cold female voice…

Ash looked around to find where the voice came from. It sounded awfully familiar. "Ash, don't get too cocky," came a familiar voice; the voice of Misty. He smiled dopily and scratched his head.

Wess smirked a bit and crossed his arms. "Listen to your girlfriend, Ash." Both Ash and Misty's face turned a bright shade of red and looked away from each other. The white haired guy chuckled loudly and quickly shook it off. "I guess I'm mistaken," he finished. He gestured to Rui and she came running to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Reminds me of when Rui and I first met." Once again, the faces of Ash and Misty brightened, making Wess laugh again. "Well on with the battle. Eeveeon! Evolutionary Attack!"

--Evolutionary Attack ? ATK: 100 ACC: 100 An attack that's Type varies. It will take on the attribute; Water, Fire, Thunder, Dark or Psychic; the target is weak against. If the opponent isn't weak against any of those Types, it takes on Normal attribute. Double Type weaknesses apply. Recoil Damage: 50 of the damage inflicted.(W)

Ash blinked as Eeveeon's appearance began to change. It now looked like a combination of all 5 of the other evolutions. Red, blue, yellow, black and purplish energy began to converge to the monster's open mouth. Both he and Heracross knew it wasn't a good thing. "I'm just gonna guess… It attacks with all five types… Wonderful…" Ash sighed and shook his head. "Sorry Heracross, looks like this fight was over before it began." The monster's eyes saddened and he sounded like he sighed as well.

"Alright," Wess said and struck a pose, "This fight is over," he shouted, pointing at Heracross. Eeveeon let out a cry as fire surrounded her and dove at Heracross. The moment after the fire burst all over Heracross, she coiled into a ball and electricity erupted from every orifice. While still mid-air, she shot out forward in a spiraling motion, water surrounding her. Hitting Heracross, she rebounded away from the beetle, but still in the air. While in the air, her eyes flashed purple and fired a large glowing beam at her target. Finally the moment she landed, she let out an intense wave of black energy hurdling towards him. Eeveeon then dropped to the floor, breathing heavily. Wess walked to her and pet her softly, making sure she was alright.

With that series of powerful attacks, Heracross fell to his now wobbly knees and bit the dust with a loud thud. Sighing, Ash recalled the Hercules beetle into his spherical home. "Good job, buddy," he said with a smile. He looked to the other trainer with a warm smile. Wess, white hair blowing in the wind, returned the smile. "Great battle," he said as he walked to Wess and extended his hand to him.

Wess nodded and took Ash's hand and shook it heartily. "That was an awesome battle. The best I've ever had in a long time." He knelt down and pet Eeveeon again, this time giving her a Full Restore. "I can tell you deeply love and care for your Pokémon. You're gonna do great in this competition," he said, wholeheartedly.

"I'm sure we'll face each other in the finals," Ash assured.

"Oh, you won't be facing me; you'll be facing Rui here." He took Rui by the waist and pulled her closer, making the redhead blush a bit and wave shyly. "She's a novice, but with some proper training, she'll be a real hot-shot!" She blushed even more, becoming a human beet.

She cuddled closer to him and kissed his cheek. "I'm tired Wess, so I'm going back to bed, okay," she whispered. As she ran back to the hall, she waved shyly and called "G'night" and went back to their room.

With that, Wess smiled slightly and turned towards her retreating form. "Hey, I'm suddenly feeling tired so I'll be taking my leave early," he said with a glint in his eyes.

"Uncle Surge? What's with that look?" Wess cleared his throat and blushed a bit, laughing a little. Ash, Misty and Surge joined in, but really laughing hard.

As Surge tried to explain to Sparky and Misty putting it bluntly, Ash walked off, still red in the face from laughing. He leaned against the railing and looked into the night sky. The moonlight revealed Sleight Island off the horizon and he smiled competitively. "Yes. Almost there!"

"Yeah, almost time for you to meet your maker, Ash," the cold female voice from before said. She was much closer this time, and her voice was painfully familiar to Ash.

He turned to look to her and his eyes grew wide with terror. "N-no way… It can't be you…" He stammered and blinked a few times. "What are y-you doing here?"

**End of Chapter III**

**Journey; Part II**

**Worenx's Corner**

Worenx: Who is that?

Chachi; barges in: YOU CHANGED THE STORY, YOU BASTARD!

Shade: It's for the best Chachi. Adds to the new emotion of things.

Chachi: What? More sex?

Shade+Worenx: …

Shade: You're just jealous that you can't write any better.

Chachi: … SHUT UP! (flutters back to his post)

Worenx: …Who is that?

Shade: … Mr. Monkey Man…

Worenx: … I knew it…

Catra: …Idiot…


	4. New Misty

Pokémon and anything related to Pokémon don't belong to me. I own a handful of attacks and monsters, even some characters, but anything familiar belongs to their respective owners. The things that belong to me are marked with a (W) after the description.

New Beginnings 

"N-no way… It can't be you…" He stammered and blinked a few times. "What are y-you doing here?"

"I'm surprised you even recognize me," she growled, less than pleased.

"May… What did you do to yourself," he asked, aghast. He knew she'd look different since they last saw each other, but not _this_ much. She matured a lot and is a little less curvy than Misty, but just as visually pleasing. Her now black hair is cut short and spiked up in the back, and is riddled with bloody red streaks. Thick black eye-liner gave the impression of a hawk-like gaze and adds to her now piercing, almost glowing, aqua-blue eyes. A pair of blue jeans and a rather low-cut top contoured every curve of her body as well as gave everyone a reason to look.

"Nothing. _I_ didn't so anything to myself…" As she said that, she gave him a piercing gaze with her spear-like eyes. "Let's just say it took me two years to get my act together."

Ash shook his head and slipped his hands in his pockets. "You're not saying this is _my_ fault, are you?" May looked away from him. "You are, aren't you?" No answer; just a single nod. "All because I wouldn't return your love? May, you're blowing this out of proportion here."

"No. I'm not blowing anything out of proportion," she said and placed her gloved hands on her hips. "I was always being pushed aside by the prettier ones. Like Misty for example." Ash was about to protest, but was cut off. "Don't lie. She's prettier than I am and you know it." Silence. They both looked into each others eyes a bit before she turned entirely around, crossing her arms. "So, have you two been a happy little couple?"

"No," he answered simply, "As I said before you left, she and I are only friends." _"Although, I wish we could be more than that…"_

With a disbelieving sigh, May started back for her room. "I'm tired of this age-old argument; I'm going to bed." Ash followed her with his eyes and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Oh, and I have gotten better within those two years, Ash. I _will_ face you in the finals and I _will_ win." With that, she stomped off towards the rooms.

"Hey, Ash! Where'd you run off to?" Misty called out to Ash, catching his attention. He gave her an apathetic wave so she could spot him. Behind her was Sparky, and behind him, Surge and Wess were having a conversation. She automatically noticed his distressed look. "What's the matter?"

--S.S. Aqua (room)--

"So May's here and she's totally pissed off at you for not going back to Hoenn with her?" Misty asked, sitting up and looking to Ash. His only response was a simple nod.

He stood up and turned to face the window, waves splashing onto it. "She's not the same May I left behind, that's for sure." Lightly, his head tapped the glass and a sigh passed his lips, "She's bitter, and more determined than ever. Something tells me I _will_ end up facing her in the finals."

"So, this May lady is of the Hoenn region?" Sparky asked somewhat excitedly. "I've always wanted to go there. I wanna see a Manectric in person!"

They all shared a chuckle at the young trainer; anyone would agree that Sparky was cute. "Well, we'll be docking soon, so you guys might wanna get some sleep," Surge suggested, "And don't go wandering off and picking fights, eh, Ashy-Boy?" he commented with a playful wink. Ash smirked right back and nodded, then everyone got prepared to get some sleep before the S.S. Aqua docked.

A few hours later, Ash remained awake. Angry Beedrill-like ideas buzzed around his head, threatening to sting him to death. The upcoming challenge, the hotshot trainer known as Wess and the return of an angered May. But most of all, Misty remained in his thoughts. _"If only I could have her,"_ he thought, sorrowfully, _"But trying to change her mind is like trying to train a Slaking to attack twice without loafing in between."_ With a frustrated sigh, he rolled onto his side. _"…Crystal… She must be surprised to hear from me after all these years."_ That being his final thought, he closed his eyes and forced himself into sleep.

--Sleight Island Warf--

The morning was shining brightly as all the trainers disembarked onto this new place. The Warf was bursting with a combination of tourists, trainers and wandering merchants around the various diners and gift shops. "Well," Surge started with a stretch, "About time Sparky here got started on the competition."

Misty turned her head to face them with a raised eyebrow, "But what about food? Aren't you two gonna stop and have a bite to eat?"

"Oh, we already ate hours before you two were even awake," little Sparky interjected with a mischievous grin. Ash and Misty stood with blank expressions. "But the food was no good; I wouldn't recommend anything there."

The lieutenant wrapped both arms around Ash and Misty and pulled them closer for a group hug. "Well, we'll be seeing you around I hope." He pat Sparky's shoulder jovially and started off, down the ramp. "Good luck to ya." After a few more steps, they disappeared within the crowd.

Just as Ash and Misty were about to make their way down the ramp, when a familiar character brushed passed them. As this feminine figure dispersed into the crowd, Ash stood still and watched briefly. Misty seemed to understand. _"Must've been May,"_ she guessed, _"Such a drastic change… And because Ash wouldn't return her love…"_

"Well, let's just get going and have a bite to eat," Ash suggested and took Misty's hand. She blushed briefly and started to walk off with him down the ramp. It was pretty crazy with that many people around, and, after what seemed like an eternity, finally made it out of the mad house and onto the boardwalk littered with many appealing places to eat. "Feel up to hamburgers?" She nodded to him and they both started for the nearest hamburger place on the Warf.

Lunch was quiet. Neither had said a word since they got to their seats. Misty felt a little awkward around Ash, especially after what he said about May the night before. _"She got mad at him because he wouldn't return her love,"_ she thought as she leaned against the table and looked to him secretly behind a napkin dispenser. _"What he said is just getting to me…Why are we just friends? Can't we become something more?"_ She sighed softly and looked to the dispenser. _"I should just accept it. We're not meant to be anything more than friends!"_ She broke the silence between them by pounding her fists into the table angrily and hid her face into her arms.

Ash looked down at the redhead with her face buried in her arms and gave her a confused look. "Mist? Are you alright? You haven't really been yourself lately," he asked and tapped her arm. When she didn't respond, he looked away and focused on a poster, advertising the competition. 'Test your capturing and training skills in this rigorous journey!' the poster read and had a picture of a spirited trainer holding six card keys in one hand and a Master Ball in the other. The trainer was indistinguishable as far as gender, as a shadow was cast upon it in such a way it was near impossible to tell. It made for a good conversation piece. "Say Misty? Do you think I can make it to the finals?" he asked, unsure of his own possibility for success. She gave only a muffled grumble. "Sorry I asked…"

When their meals arrived, it was even quieter than before. Ash ate his burger in a matter of minutes, leaving him his French fries to pick at as Misty ate rather slowly. As she ate, she was oblivious to the fact he was watching her. Thought after thought of their lives being nothing more than friendship was making this hard for her. How can she stand to be around him when she can't confess her undying affection for him? She had finished her fries and took off the top bun for her burger and put some ketchup on it. _"Why did I even come here with him? It's just too much of a temptation for me..."_ she thought…

"Hey Misty? Don't you think that that's too much ketchup?" Ash asked as he saw a mountain of ketchup all over her hamburger. She saw what she was doing and gasped. He smiled at her as she looked back and blushed at him. "Want me to get you another one?"

She shook her head and sat up. "I'm not really all that hungry. These fries were more than enough," she said and smirked a bit. He leaned closer and gave her a small leer. She slightly shifted nervously, "What?"

"Nothing…" he responded. Knowing her, she'd have some kind of excuse and get defensive. He decided it was best not to say anything. "Well, since you're done, why don't we go and start our adventure?" Misty nodded quickly and got up from her seat. Ash held the door open for her and followed out after her.

On the way off the Warf, they were almost overrun by a small crowd of trainers. "Hurry up! This is one battle we just _can't_ miss!" one of them called over the noise of the crowd.

"Hey, did you hear that, Mist?" Ash asked enthusiastically, "A major battle's going on! Let's check it out!"

She nodded with a smile. "What better way to scope out the competition? Let's get a move on, Ash!" They both sped up and followed the crowds down the main road.

By the time they had arrived, the battle was long gone. They both groaned in disappointment as the trainers began to go their separate ways. Ash seemed to have noticed a familiar hair style. He shrugged off the thought and thought that maybe it was just in his mind. Until a voice called him from that direction. "Well, if it isn't Ashy-Boy," the familiar voice joked with an arrogant chuckle.

Ash stopped dead at the sound of this voice, and Misty was equally surprised. "Gary Oak," she asked and turned to face him. It was indeed Gary, Ash's longtime rival.

"Oh, hi, Gary," Ash said, trying to sound surprised. "Didn't see you there." That was a flat out lie, and Gary immediately caught it. "Didn't think you'd be here so fast…"

"Well, I _did_ get here a few days ago; bound to have made some process." He turned his attention to Misty and smiled a bit at her. "About time you stopped pussyfooting around and talked to her, Ash," the grandson of Oak commented, making Ash fidget. "This guy was in a slump thinking of ways to talk to you for almost two weeks! I thought he'd never get up the guts to set things straight."

Misty blushed slightly at that and looked to Ash, who looked as though he wanted to pound Gary into a bloody pulp. "Well, I _did_ set things straight, Mr. Know-It-All." Gary let out a small laugh and shook his head. "So, Gary? What kind of place is this?"

"Strange," he said, becoming more serious and slipped his hands into his coat pockets. "Many strange things go on here, on this island," he said gesturing to some distant girl with two gold fox tails and black fox ears. Ash acknowledged this girl and shrugged. "Look closer and you'll see that those aren't props. Some Pokémon, as I'm told, can evolve into human-like shapes like that one." With another look at this girl, Ash's jaw dropped. "That was, more or less, my reaction."

"But how is that possible?"

"Hey, don't ask me, Ash. I'm not a gold mine of information here." Gary coughed to the side and shrugged. "I've heard other things, but I think you best hear it for yourself." Ash blinked a little and shrugged himself. "Aside from all that, this place isn't so bad."

"But, what's this challenge like?" Misty asked, curiously. "Some advertisements are saying it's some massive test of training and capturing skills."

Gary nodded. "This isn't for novices, but I see all kinds of kids entering with their parents." He shook his head with a solemn expression. "The wild Pokémon here appear to be more fierce than the ones at home. They've got raptor-like ones running around, hyperactive Pikachu, near insane monkeys, and rambunctious dogs. All of electric type." Ash was speechless, and Misty made a slight face. "I'll be surprised if even _one_ kid passes this part."

Ash nodded. "Say, you've completed the first task, right?"

"Of course. And you're just going to start?" Ash smirked and nodded once again. "Well, Ashy-Boy, whaddaya say I get you warmed up?" Gary challenged and pulled out a yellow ball with the Alpha symbol on it.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Ash responded and pulled out his own Pokéball.

Gary tossed the 'Alpha Ball' out and a yellow dog monster with spiky yellow hair emerged. Light blue electric sparks surged up and down it. "Go! Thundanar!" It barked excitedly and stretched, giving Ash a good view of his large hook-like fangs.

--Thundanar: Monster I created for a comic of mine turned into a Pokémon. This is mine and mine alone! STAMP!(W)

Ash cocked his head at the monster, commenting on the unique shape of its teeth. Immediately, his Poké-Dex. Thundanar: The thunder puppy. This is the male form of Thundana. Using it's hooked fangs-which further distinguish male from female-and claws, this monster is able to perform powerful and, potentially, devastating moves, such as Sled Fang and Crescent Slash. Very lively and loves nothing more than a good fight. Ash put the Dex away and crossed his arms. "Well, I'm gonna give it a good fight!" he declared and called on the powerful Meganium. She let out a joyful cry and stamped about. "Alright, Meganium! Earthquake!" At that command, the flowery behemoth slammed her feet against the ground and created powerful sonic waves on the ground.

--Thundana: Another monster I created for the same comic. Also mine!(W)

_--Sled Fang Normal ATK:75 ACC:100 Powerful attack that propels the user forward. Always strikes first, but may confuse user(25 chance) Namesake is Final Fantasy VII(RedXIII's Limit Break), so I don't own the name, Square Enix does._

_--Crescent Slash Normal ATK? ACC:100 Attack that strikes 2-5 times with random power. (25, 50, 75, 100, 125) Namesake is from Capcom's Megaman X5, Grizzly Slash's attack. I don't own the name._

Thundanar hopped over each of the sonic waves in a show of extreme hyperactivity, wagged his tail and barked at Meganium as if he wanted to play some game. "Alright, do your stuff! Crescent Slash!" With a happy bark, he stood on his hind legs and slashed with his claws glowing a vibrant orange. Five crescents flew at Meganium. Three had missed, but two struck and quite powerfully at that. Meganium stumbled about, the slashes getting to her. "Finish her off! Sled Fang!" Thundanar surged with bluish energy and began to run forward. After a few steps, he rocketed at the lumbering giant with incredible speed. He connected and sent his opponent into the ground with a loud thud.

Ash's jaw dropped at this monster's incredible speed and power. _"What are these monsters eating? BGH?"_ he thought. "Return, Meganium…" He returned the large monster to its circular home and examined the wolf cub monster carefully. "Bad luck," he stated, "But it won't happen again! Typhlosion !" Out came the ball and the flaming beast erupted from it with a mighty roar and a burst of fire.

"Ash, think this through with caution," Misty warned, "The last Earthquake left Meganium wide open."

"I'm aware of that Mist," Ash said with a slight air of frustration. "No Earthquake, Ground Scimitar!" With that said, Typhlosion slashed at the ground and unearthed a small pillar of rock and pushed it towards Thundanar.

Because it wasn't paying attention, the stone slammed into him, knocking him back a bit. He shook off the dizziness and began to lick his wound. Gary shook his head and called to his monster. "Pay attention, will ya?" Thundanar stood up and growled at Typhlosion with a powerful malice. "Shovel Claw!" the ace trainer commanded. The dog-monster dug its claws into the earth and slashed at his opponent, sending rocks and mud at the flaming monster.

"Ah! Dodge it, Typhlosion!" Ash exclaimed hastily. Though he did try to avoid, the attack hit Typhlosion, dead-on. The rocks were rather large and knocked him in the head and most of the dirt and mud on his flaming back, hurting him greatly. Obviously, it was a critical strike, and caused Typhlosion to stagger around, eyes shut tight. "Uh, think Ash, think…"

"Try attacking a wide area," Misty called from the side, "Use Scorch Wheel!"

Ash looked over to Misty with a sort of glare and turned back to the battle at hand. "Thanks, but no thanks Misty. I can handle this myself!" He point at the electrified dog and commanded Typhlosion. "Let's go with another Ground Scimitar, Typhlosion!" The blinded monster slashed at the ground again and created the wave of earth and rock at the small dog creature.

Thundanar quickly dodged to the side and out of the way of the attack. And with Typhlosion's crippled accuracy, that attack missed entirely. Misty shook her head and sighed. "Sure seems like it." Before Ash could talk back, the thunder K-9 performed a last second attack; he formed a yellow electrified ball in his mouth and launched it against the lumbering beast. It burst on contact and sent an electrical surge in a wide area around the target. Typhlosion went down with a bang. "Scorch Wheel would've-"

--Bolt Ball(the attack used just now) Electric ATK:50 ACC:100 Weaker Zap Cannon and has a 75 chance of paralyzing a target.(W)

She was cut off by Ash's frustrated grumble. "Misty, I don't need you to lecture me! I did just fine for those two years without you, so just butt out!"

Gary chuckled a bit and placed his hand on his forehead. "Looks like our favorite couple is having a little tiff," he joked.

"We're not a couple!" they both shouted. Gary was left with a blank expression, a slightly messed up hairdo, and Thundanar cocked his head. "We're just friends!" Ash finished. Misty flinched hearing that and her angry face transformed into sadness. What's worse, Ash didn't even seem to notice… With another frustrated growl, he threw out Donphan's Pokéball and hoped for the best. "Earthquake!" Misty shook her head again, already knowing the outcome.

Like Misty had predicted, another Earthquake would only meet with the same results. Thundanar leaped over the sonic waves and, while in the air, dive bombed at Donphan with a Sled Fang. The attack hit in just the right spot and Donphan went down in a flash. The monster had landed and ran back to his owner and happily nuzzled his leg like a loyal dog. Gary gave Ash a serious look and crossed his arms. "You need to learn from your mistakes, Ash."

"Aw… Shut up," Ash grumbled and recalled Donphan into his ball.

"Also, take advice a little better."

"Shut it, Gary!"

With a sigh, Gary started walking down the other path. "Well, I'm going to Beta City. I don't have time to waste talking with a hard head like you." Thundanar happily trotted at his side and Ash growled. He didn't like losing to Gary; it was like a piece of his soul was taken from him. He shook his head and started walking to the other town Gary had come from, with Misty close behind…

--Alpha-Beta Forest--

"Ash, I just wanted to help you," Misty sighed as she trailed after.

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't need your help," the hard headed Ash said, still rather frustrated at his loss.

She shook her head. "Well, if that was you not needing assistance, I'd hate to see you when you need it!" the redhead snapped.

He laughed harshly at her, "Oh, that's very funny, Mist.Very, _very_ funny." Ash shook his head and continued walking.

"I thought two years was enough for you to finally mature," she reprised, making him stop, "But it seems you're still the same sore loser you always were…"

"Get it straight, stupid! That was a practice round! And practice rounds don't count as wins or loses!" He sighed again and started off.

"Then why is it bugging you so much!"

"Shut up!"

"Lovely counter argument!"

It was silent for a couple minutes. Ash was mad at losing to Gary and mad at Misty as well. "I don't need this from you! Why are you even coming with me if all you're gonna do is give me this load of bull! Why don't you just go home, Misty? Who needs you?"

That hit her pretty hard. But he had a point. _"Why should I pal around with him? He's just going to be a total asshole to me if I try to help…"_ She huffed and stormed off ahead. "Better idea; how about I start my own journey? This way, I can put my suggestions to good use!"

"It'll just be a waste of time! One loss and you'll be on your knees, sobbing!" he shouted to her retreating form.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face him with an angered face, "_Screw _you!" and sped off, nearly thrice as angry as she was before. What's worse, Ash didn't even notice the tears in her eyes, making her even angrier with him.

"Nice comeback!" he called to her and started forward. "A lot of good you can do on your own. You haven't even touched a Pokéball in two years," he grumbled to himself and continued to walk to through the forest as the enraged Misty rushed forward.

"Stupid Ash! That stupid jerk!" As the sounds of the twigs snapping and the leaves crunching hastened, she felt more and more angry. Bust most of all, she felt stupid. "Why did I even bother coming with him? All I ever get is this kind of crap when dealing with Ash." She sighed and slowed down a bit more, starting to calm down. "I mean, he didn't even care I was crying…"

"…Wow, Ash, you can sure be a jerk without even trying," he commented to himself and sighed. "You just got your best friend pissed off at you. _Nice_ going, Ketchum…" He kicked a little stone to the side of the road and slipped his hands into his pockets as he walked. "…Maybe I should apologize?…"

"It won't do much good now… I've already found out he doesn't love me, so why should I tell him?" Misty asked herself. Just thinking about Ash made her heart happy, despite the fact that she was so torn up inside about it. She loved him more than she ever loved anything. Even the Starmie her sisters traded away without her knowing; she loved Ash far more than that. She knew she'd never forgive herself if she never told him. She turned to look down the road and thought of Ash more. The day they met, the bike he trashed, and the battle they had for the Cascade Badge. That was almost six years ago, yet the memory remained. After that, she _knew_ she was in love. "Time to swallow your pride, Misty! When I get back to him, I'm gonna kiss him and let my true feelings be known!" With that said, she sprinted down the road in a blind haste.

As she ran, she thought of the consequences of what she was planning to do, but they didn't stop her. All she could think about was confessing to Ash her love for him, and nothing was going to get in her way. As she ran down the path, she stepped on a pale yellow piece of fur, making the owner yelp in pain. "NIIIIIIINETAAALES!" Misty immediately stopped and looked to the Pokémon that leapt from the bush. He glared at her with his bright red eyes and growled darkly.

She stepped back a bit, and a tower of flames erupted from the ground, obstructing her path. The Ninetales took a step closer to Misty and his eyes began to glow a bright blue. His tails raised and fanned out a little as a blue flame lit on the end of each tail. "Ninetales," it growled and a blue smog puffed from his mouth as he spoke. Misty began to feel woozy. The Ninetales then spewed blue flames at the helpless girl.

She felt very strange as the flames spread over her entire body. Her clothes began to burn off her body, exposing her naked flesh, and her belongings simply ceased to exist. She closed her eyes and grit her teeth as pain overtook her. She could feel her bones breaking and reshaping, her body changing in strange ways. She tried to stay conscious, but her reformed body couldn't take it. She simply passed out…

"_W-where am I?_" Misty asked as her eyes slowly opened to see a deep blackness before her. "_What happened? Why do I feel so strange?_" she asked herself as she tried to stand, but a sharp pain overtook her leg and she collapsed. "_Argh, I can't even move…_" Suddenly, the sound of a brook drifted into her ears, making her thirsty. "_Water? How did I miss that?_" She tried to stand again, but found it just as hard. So, to make it to the brook, she started to crawl to it. But when she got to the water and looked at her reflection, a furry creature was looking back at her. It looked similar to Gary's Thundanar, except with red fur and green eyes that looked similar to her own. She gasped and staggered back. "_Is this some kind of joke!_" she screamed to no one in particular.

A sinister laugh filled the dark void as footsteps made their way closer. Misty leaped back and quivered in fear. The Ninetales from before confronted Misty with a crafty smile and leered at her with those red eyes. "_No, not a joke,_" he answered her. Not expecting a Pokémon to talk; aside from Team Rocket's Meowth and Mewtwo; she jumped back in surprise. "_This is your punishment for your act._"

"_Punishment! I didn't do anything!_"

"_Wrong. Oh, so very wrong,_" he growled, "_You are aware of how proud we Ninetales are of our tails. By stepping on one, you've defiled my tail! As such, I have cursed you._" He explained with the hint of malice towards Misty.

Her eyes widened as tears began to fill them. "_Cursed! What kind of a curse!_" she demanded. This couldn't be happening. All she did was miss her step. The Ninetales smirked and his eyes began to glow again. In a puff of blue smog, a sheet of smoothed ice appeared behind her. When Misty turned to see, the reflection from the brook appeared. She then looked to herself and screamed. It wasn't just a trick, it was real. She had become a small dog creature. "_N-No! No way! This can't be true!_" she wailed and touched the ice with her paw and recoiled at the sight of it. Tears began to stream from her now large eyes. "_Please! You have to change me back!_"

Ninetales shook his head and laughed a bit more at her plea. "_I'm afraid not, my little infidel. I'll leave you now to deal with your fate!_" With that said, he cackled again and disappeared in that blue fog. In a flash of light, Misty found herself in the forest again, in the same spot she passed out in…

What was she to do? She had lost her human form and is now in the form of a Pokémon she knew nothing about. And worst of all, Ash may never know how much she loves him. Thinking that, her large eyes widened even further and more tears streamed out. Misty fell to the ground and dug her nose between her front legs and began to sob softly. _"Ash…"_ she thought, more tears streaming. _"…I may never get my chance to tell you! Just when I get the nerve to confess! Why me!"_ She started sobbing louder and harder, unable to think of anything else… She was truly alone now…

**End of Chapter IV:**

**New Misty**

**Worenx's Corner**

_Worenx_: Wow! I am in awe, Shade!_; claps_

_Shade_: Um, thank you?

_Chachi_: No! He lies! You suck!

_Aya_; _dragging Chachi_: C'mon Chachi. Time for your medication. He's got ADHD today.

_Chachi_: No! My story shall not be changed!

_Aya; injects Chachi_: There we go, now don't we feel better?_; happy face_

_Chachi_: Lookit the pretty snowman_; happy face_

_Shade_: …Um… Okay…

_Worenx; hanging upside-down from the light fixture_: I'm a monkey! Eek! Eek!

_Shade_: …Aya, come back here with that medicine_; walks out, leaving Worenx_

_Worenx; swinging back and forth_: She was an acrobat's daughter!_; fixture falls from the ceiling_


End file.
